Madam Zara
by EchidnaPower
Summary: When Misty decides to get experimental with her appearance, she finds herself in the hands of a world-famous beautician named Madam Zara. With most of Misty's makeovers ending less than ideally, will this be the one to shatter the mold? And how will Ash react? Based on an idea and drawing by HollyLu.


**Yes, I know, my other stories need attention. And I will get to them, I promise! But for now, this story was inspired by a drawing done by the lovely HollyLu, we kinda worked together on this. Now then, I'll spare everyone the eyesore links to the drawing (the links are the eyesore, not the drawing, to be clear) and just say go check it out on Holly's Tumblr page.**

**I won't bore you all anymore with details, on with the show! I own nothing except the story and the character "Madam Zara."**

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She made the decision on a whim. More out of sheer curiosity than anything. Long gone were the days where Misty Waterflower felt insecure about her appearance, but at the same time she was also more actively conscious of it, now that she was older. The idea took root in her mind when she saw her sisters come home one afternoon, looking radically different than usual. It wasn't something they hadn't done before, of course. In fact every few months or so it seemed like they would go and change up their style.

But something about this time made Misty curious. What would she look like if _she _were the one to mix things up a little for once? Naturally, the moment she broached the topic with her older sisters, they swarmed her like Venomoth to a flame. Her brain had trouble processing all the talking they were doing, tossing out ideas and cheering her on at the same time. She briefly regretted it, but once again her own curiosity got the better of her. It wasn't like it'd be permanent, after all. If she didn't like it, it'd go away eventually...plus...she really wanted to see Ash's reaction. So, with some help from her sisters, she made the appointment for the following week.

She was going to get her hair dyed.

"Is it too late to back out?!"

Or maybe not.

"Oh no you don't! Like, I pulled a lot of strings to get you this appointment!" Daisy pushed her younger sister through the doors of the salon, catching the unwanted attention of the patrons inside. Once that happened, Misty's resistance stopped as she stood in place, blushing in embarrassment with a harsh frown on her face. "Hi there! We have an appointment."

"Um, yes...Miss Waterflower, good to see you again." The woman at the register said with an awkward smile. "Your usual?"

"Nope! Today, it's like, my baby sister's time to shine, and she's getting only the best!"

"I'm not a baby." Misty muttered childishly.

"Then like, stop acting like one." Daisy smirked and turned her sister's face towards her with her hand. "Like, you were so gung-ho about this last week! Why're you being a brat about it _now?"_

Misty jerked her head away and glared at Daisy. "That was before my logical side kicked in. Curiosity killed the Meowth, and now I'm about to be living proof."

Daisy sighed and shook her head. "Look, the worst that's gonna happen is that you'll have to go through life looking a little different for a while. Like, you're not permanently changing your hair color." She smirked. "Besides, isn't this whole thing like, a way to get a reaction out of your little boyfriend?"

"Leave him outta this." Misty blushed and looked away. "I already told him to meet me here."

"Woooow," Daisy drawled. "So like, you called him to meet you here, and then what?"

"I was hoping he'd rescue me."

"Alright, like, that's it." Daisy began pushing again, and this time Misty offered no resistance as the last thing she wanted was to continue making a scene. "Sit that cute little butt of yours down and wait for the mistress of hair styling to get here and glam you up." Once Misty got in the seat with a mirror in front, Daisy nodded and turned to leave. "Like, if you need me, I'll be next door getting my nails done. But like, trust me, you won't need me."

With that, Daisy walked out of the salon and left Misty to her own devices. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, turning her head slightly from side to side as she examined her hair as it was. She'd grown it out years ago, now more on par with her sisters' luscious locks. Not that she'd done it for that reason, of course. At first she'd done it for herself, but then when she found out that Ash took a liking to seeing her with her hair down, she decided to keep letting it grow until it flowed down her back to about her waist. She smiled as she recalled the intimate moments she'd shared with Ash in the past couple of years. He always treated her with such kindness. Did they still bicker? Sure. But, it never got too bad unless Ash did something really dumb that legitimately angered her. Always a bit on the slow side he was, but his heart was pure and she loved him for it.

"You must be Misty."

And just like that, the sultry female voice dragged her kicking and screaming out of her happy place. "Yeah, that's me."

"Well it's certainly a pleasure to finally meet you." The middle-aged woman started gathering her equipment as she mentally examined Misty's hair. The stylist had bright pink hair and a mole on her left cheek, with nails painted blue and longer than even her sisters had. She also had a green choker around her neck. "I must say, your sisters speak highly of you. I've been looking forward to an opportunity to work on the Tomboyish Mermaid of Cerulean City!"

Misty's nose crinkled in distaste. "That was a long time ago. Been trying to shake that title to be honest." As the woman put a black tarp-like cape around Misty's shoulders, Misty tensed as the full weight of what she was about to do came crashing down on her. "Um...is-is there a way I could maybe choose what I'd like for you to do? My sisters didn't exactly-"

The sound of the towel the woman was holding making a whip sound silenced Misty immediately. "You have no need to worry." She said, clearly brooking no argument. "There is a reason your sisters entrust me with their beautiful hair. I am the greatest beautician in all of Kanto. When you visit Madam Zara, you come plain, but you leave as a masterpiece."

"Plain?! I-"

Again the towel whip-cracked, and Misty was once again cowed into submission. "Worry not my dear, when I am done with you, you will not recognize yourself."

_"That's what I'm afraid of."_

"Now sit back, relax, and prepare to be amazed."

Misty closed her eyes tightly and forced herself to sit still, tightly gripping the arms of the chair as the gloved hands of Madam Zara began the process of dyeing her hair. The entire time she felt her hair being worked on; brushing, a strange goo, tin foil being wrapped around strands, Misty saw flashbacks to her childhood makeovers that nearly traumatized her. Spinarak webbing to the face, Team Rocket sabotage, her past experiences trying to improve her outward appearance had been disastrous...but...this was the stylist her sisters trusted to take care of them...that couldn't happen this time...right? When Misty smelled the bleach, she had to stop herself from crying out. There was officially no going back.

It seemed to take forever, but at last Madam Zara stepped back and removed her gloves. "Eureka! I've done it again!" When Misty refused to open her eyes, the beautician shook her head and rolled her eyes, once again cracking the whip that was her towel and causing Misty to jump. "Look at yourself child, you are magnificent!"

The redhead turned to the mirror...and she gasped. She wasn't a redhead anymore. Misty's normally orange-colored hair was now a much brighter shade, not quite pure blonde like Daisy's. It still displayed some of her natural red hue. The term strawberry blonde probably fit her best. But what really caught her attention were the pink highlights streaking through her hair. Such a sharp contrast from the rest of it, it demanded recognition. Misty said nothing as she ran her fingers through her hair, as if trying to decide whether she was looking at her reflection, or a different person altogether. But no, it was definitely her.

"So, what do you think?"

Misty turned around in her seat and looked up at the woman who did this to her, a blank expression on her face. It took her several moments, but she finally managed to process what had happened to her. And she smiled. "I love it."

"I knew you would!" Madam Zara clapped once and spun Misty around in her chair before stopping her so she was facing the mirror again. Then she pulled out a pair of light-green star-shaped earrings and handed them to her. "For my new favorite customer!"

"Wait, seriously?!"

"Absolutely!" Madam Zara exclaimed as Misty started putting the earrings on. She then placed a pink bag filled with product next to the young woman. "To help you maintain it. I must say, it was a real pleasure to work with your hair, Misty. Your sisters, they're very nice, but I've worked on their hair so often that it feels like I'm just painting over my own work. You, you were a blank canvas, and your hair's been taken such good care of. I can tell you air dry, it's so healthy and thick! Surely you must have a boyfriend you'd like to show this off to?"

At the mention of Ash, the now-strawberry blonde young woman blushed and nodded her head. "Yes, he's actually supposed to meet me here." And as if on cue, she saw Ash walking towards the salon through the window reflecting in the mirror. "He's coming! Quick, I wanna surprise him. Can you drag him in here? Find an excuse!"

"Oh, of course!" Madam Zara laughed. "This is so exciting, I cannot wait to see this all unfold!" As Misty started smoothing out her hair with a brush, the middle-aged woman burst out of the hair salon, causing Ash to jump nearly ten feet in the air. "Young man! I cannot allow you to take one step further!"

"Wh-why?!"

"Your hair! It _must _be fixed! It's as messy as a Pidgey's nest!"

Ash frowned and glared at the woman, shoving his hat back on his head to hide his hair. "Now hold on, you can't just scare the crap outta me, insult me and then force me to-"

*CRACK*

"W-Where'd you get that towel?!"

"March, young man! I'll not argue with you anymore! Consider this the luckiest day of your life, people come far and wide to have Madam Zara work on their hair, and you're getting this treatment for free! MARCH!"

"Alright fine, whatever! Just don't hurt me!" Ash started walking. "I'm probably gonna miss my meeting with Misty because of this."

"I'm sure you'll see her very soon. No need to worry!"

"Hey, that's what my friend Dawn says all the time."

"Is that so?" Madam Zara sat Ash down in a seat. "Now you just sit still and wait for me to get my tools. Who knows? Maybe you'll see your lady friend!"

"Uh...okay..." Ash watched as the woman walked away...and then she zipped around a corner. "Hoo boy, I swear if this is another Team Rocket trap. Makes me wish I hadn't left Pikachu at home." He briefly checked his belt to make sure his Pokéballs were still there, just in case he needed to start a battle. Then he caught a glimpse of a girl sitting in the chair a few chairs down. He looked at her closely, he couldn't quite see her face but there was something about her that seemed familiar. "Um, excuse me, Miss?"

"Yes?"

When the girl turned her head to look at him, Ash felt his heart race. "Whoa..." He gasped. "You...you look a lot like my girlfriend, it's kinda scary."

"Wait, what?"

"I-I don't mean that in a bad way, don't get me wrong! But it's just that her hair's red while yours is blonde."

"You...you don't recognize me?"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Should I? I don't _think_ we've met...by the way, have you seen a girl come by here lately? Like I said, she looks a lot like you and we were supposed to meet up. I hope it's for lunch, she didn't tell me what she had planned and I could really use a hamburger right now. Maybe I can sneak out of here before that crazy lady comes back."

"I do not believe this." The girl stood up and stalked over to Ash, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and glaring at him fiercely. "Recognize me _now_, Ash Ketchum?!"

"M-Misty?!"

"Yes, Misty! You're _really _so dense that a simple hair color change completely keeps you from recognizing me?!"

"I-It's just so new! Y-You look great by the way!" Ash laughed nervously before he frowned. "Please don't hurt me...um...I love you?"

The Gym Leader growled, but finally relented and dropped Ash back in his chair before sighing. "Never mind. It's not worth it."

"I'm sorry, Mist." Ash slowly got up and wrapped his arms around her, her body limp in his embrace. "You know I tend to be slow on the uptake. For what it's worth, I really do like it. It's different."

Misty finally looked up at her boyfriend and cracked the tiniest of smiles. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do! You know I wouldn't lie to you like that!" Ash took a lock of her hair into his hand and let it fall around his fingers. "It's a lot brighter, kinda suits you...but not as much as your normal hair color. Your red hair is the most _you, _and you is who I love."

"Yeah..." Misty looked back at her reflection again. She did like what she saw, but as she thought longer, she realized Ash was right. "Cheesiness aside, you're right. This is a nice change of pace, but nothing compares to the original." She turned back to Ash and gave him a brief kiss, grabbing the pink salon bag she'd been gifted. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. I've got a lot of time to kill before this color grows out."

"Can we go to that diner near the gym?"

Misty laughed. "Whatever you want, Ashy."

As the couple left the salon with hands intertwined, Daisy popped in moments later with a knowing smile on her face. "Like, I knew she'd appreciate it. Thanks, Madam Zara."

The woman came out of hiding, a huge grin on her face from seeing Ash and Misty interact. "Those two make a very handsome couple. Now then..." The beautician scratched her chin and examined Daisy's face. "As for you, dear, I think it's high time I started taking charge again. You've been dodging my ministrations long enough."

Daisy sweat-dropped. "Oh, um, actually, I have an important engagement that I really must be-"

"Sit!" Madam Zara cracked her towel, and Daisy ran to get in her chair. "Now then, no more words. After working on your sister, I'm feeling inspired. So sit back, relax, and prepare...once again...to be amazed."

"Yes, Madam Zara."


End file.
